Russian serial killer, Alexei W, 23 years old man, put powerful tranquillizers in brandy and then invited people to share a drink and toast with him “on the birth of his little daughter.” He was arrested and suspected of having murdered at least 13 people and injured another 12, some of them seriously, over a period of three years.

According to the police, the suspect had arrived in Moscow from Vladivostok in eastern Russia, where he had previously been imprisoned for theft. He used to single out apparently well-off men who seemed to be on their way home from parties and in high spirits. When invited to share a drink with him, most of the victims readily agreed. Alexei had used medication intended for the treatment of strongly psychotic patients, police said. He would rob his victims as they lost consciousness and then he would leave them to die in icy cold winter temperatures in Moscow commuter trains.

When the young man was arrested in the capital on Wednesday, he tried to hide the drugs he used in his underwear, media reports said. A search of the 23-year-old’s flat after his arrest turned up numerous wallets, credit cards, passports and mobile phones, prompting police to suspect that the number of Alexei W.’s victims could be significantly higher.

Investigating the killings had taken years, police said. The suspect was finally tracked down after one victim survived the attack. Because he was ill, the elderly man had only taken a small sip of the lethal cocktail out of politeness. He regained consciousness and helped produce the composite photograph that led to the suspect’s arrest. It’s still unknown how many people he actually killed.

-article by dpa rewritten and adapted by admin-